Wrench



IMWW g A. W. MINNEY.

WRENCHJ APPLICATION FILED JAN-25. 1921.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921;

WITNESSES I/VVE/VTOR K W I fll'fhurwMinng 2L1 A4 ATTORNEYS FATE FFEE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

Application filed January 25, 1921. Serial No. 439,822.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR \VnLLs MIN- NEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in renches, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention in general relates to tools, and more particularly to an improved wrench having features enabling it to serve in the capacity of other tools.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved tool of this character which is especially adapted for use as a wrench and which is adapted when so used to powerfully grip either round or polygonal objects irrespective of the position of the wrench with respect to such objects, and which is of simple and durable construction, reliable in operation and easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

- Other objects and advantages of the in vention reside in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the tool embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear end elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 4 is a similar view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings wherein for the sake of illustration'is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates generally the body portion of the wrench which is preferably constructed of steel and which is hollow to entirely house and reinforce the operable or movable parts of the tool. The body portion is provided at one end with an extension 11 having a back plate 11 and side flanges 11", and is provided at the other end with tubular handle 12. Preferably both the extension and tubular handle are integral with the body portion.

The body portion 10 and extension 11 are provided with a channel-way 13 extending longitudinally thereof and communicating and in alinement with the bore of the tubujects of any size lar handle 12 for a purpose that will hereinafter clearly appear. The body portion is also provided with a lug 14 adapted to constitute a hammer.

An inner fixed jaw 15 is carried by and is preferably integral with the body portion at the upper end thereof and an outer movable jaw designated generally at 16 coacts with the inner fixed jaw and the gripping of the objects being handled. This outer movable jaw 16 as well as the inner fixed jaw 15 is extended laterally, as clearlyshown in Fig. 2 and the outer jaw 16 may be provided with a serrated face plate 17 which is secured in place by means of nuts and bolts 18. The movable jaw 16 has integrally formed therewith a shank 19 which preferably conforms with and is slidably received in the channel way 13. The interior of the body portion which is hollow'and defines a transverse opening communicating with the channel-way 18 permits the shank of the outer movable jaw and consequently permits the movable jaw a certain amount of transverse movement which together with the longitudinal movement permitted by the channel-way provides for the necessary movement and adjustments to bring the jaws into gripping engagement with obor contour. Means is provided for resiliently opposing the transverse movement of the outer jaw and consists of a flat blade spring 20 carried by the body portion by means of bolts and nuts 21 and having a portion, designated at 20 offset and operatively engaging the shank 19 of the outer jaw. The body portion 10 is provided with an opening 10 adjacent the spring 20 to facilitate the assembly and displacement of this element.

A traveling screw 25 has one end pivotally connected to the shank 19 preferably by means of a bifurcated coupling member 26 integrally formed with one end of the traveling screw and receiving between its arms a tongue 27 formed on the end of theshank 19, the tongue 27 and arms 26 being pivotally connected by means of'a Pivot pin 28. The body portion 10 is preferably provided with an opening 10 facilitating the assembly and repair of these elements. The coupling member 26 of the traveling screw 25 is squared and is slidably journaled in the channel-way while the traveling screw proper. operates in the channel-way and in the tubular handle and is actuated from a relatively fixed nut 29 rotatably seated in the bearing 30 provided therefor in thebody portion 10 'and having internal threads operatively engaged with the traveling screw 25. The nut 29 is also provided with a serrated annular flange 31 which facilitates turning or operation of the nut. The annular flange 31 is also provided with a bearing 32 in the body portion 10 and this bearing of the annular flange completes the association of the nut with the body portion. The annular flange as well as the ends of the nut abut the bearing seats of the body portion. and are thus constrained against 'displacement.

In operation when the jaws of the nut are engaged with an object after approximate adjustment has been made by manipulating the nut 29 the operative force applied to the handle 12 will effect a powerful gripping of the jaws for the fixed jaw and the traveling screw are carried by the body portion and at this time immmovable with respect to the handle and the body portion and thus the outer movable jaw and the inner fixed jaw approaches each other andpowerfully grip V the work. This gripping movement is against the action of the spring 20 so that as soon as the operative force is no longer applied the jaws will spring out of engageinentwith the work and thus be automatically released. During the engagement of the jaws with the work the action of the body portion and the extension in strengthening, and reinforcing the elements of the wrench comes most into play. The extensionis operative irrespective of the manner in which the force is applied for the back plate is effective in one instance and the flanges are effective in the other. The faces of the jaws being extended laterally also enhance the gripping action. .VVhen not utilized as a wrench the tool maybe utilized as a hammer by virtue of the provision of the hammer or impact lug 14.

Having thus claim:

,1. A wrench comprising a body portion having an extension at one end and a tubular handle at the other en-d,said body portion and said extension having a continuous channel-way therein and said body'portion having at its upper end an interior opening communicating with said channel-way, a fixed inner jaw carried bythe body portion a movable outer jaw having a shank slidably received in the channelway, a spring carried by the body portion and engaged with the shank to resiliently oppose movement of the shank'from the channel-way, a traveling screw'pivoted to said shank and having a bearing portion slidably mounted in said channel way and a nut rotatably journaled in saidbody portion and operatively engaged with said traveling screw.

2. A wrench comprising a body portion having a channel way therein and a trans verse opening communicating with said channel-way, a fixed jaw carried by said body portion, a movable jaw coacting with said fixed jaw and having a shank slidably received in and transversely of said channelway, spring means carried by the body portion and engaging said shank for resiliently opposing transverse movement therein, and means for adjusting said jaws toward and away from each other and permitting said described my invention, I

shank to partake of transverse movement in sald transverse openin s. 

